Who is Guerschon Yabusele? Meet France PF ahead of Olympics basketball gold medal showdown against USA

France has a few secret weapons of its own, with Guerschon Yabusele, as it faces Team USA for the gold medal on Saturday. In their win Thursday against Germany, Yabusele led Team France in scoring, as no one could stop him and his post moves.

Yabusele is a 6-foot-8, 28-year-old, power forward from Dreux, France. His parents emigrated from Zaire. According to his Wikipedia page, the forward started his path to play basketball in 2012 when he joined the youth sections of Chorale Roanne Basket.

Yabusele spent two seasons with the program before joining Rouen Métropole to improve his NBA Draft stock. He wasn't well-known then, but the Boston Celtics selected him with the 16th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

However, the forward didn't play for the Celtics immediately. Just after being drafted, he signed a deal with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. He played 43 games for the Chiese team that year and averaged 20.9 points and 9.4 rebounds. Yabusele's performance earned him CBA All-Star status.

Following his Asian stint, the forward signed a deal with the Maine Red Claws from the NBA G League in 2017. That summer, the forward signed a deal with the Celtics. He played two uneventful seasons with Boston.

During his Celtics stint, Yabusele played 74 games and averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds. The forward shot 32% from beyond the arc.

Since then, he rejoined the Red Claws and returned to Asia. During the 2020-21 season, he played with ASVEL before joining Real Madrid.

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Guerschon Yabusele sent a message to the Celtics before Saturday's gold medal game

Guerschon Yabusele became one of France's most impactful performers during the 2024 Paris Olympics. His physicality and grit are what the national team needs. In their game against Germany, he led the team with 17 points.

After helping France reach the gold medal game against the USA, Yabusele sent a message to the Celtics' front office.

"You gotta tell (the Boston Celtics) to bring me back," the forward said.

As a former first-round pick, Guerschon Yabusele wants to redeem himself in the NBA. Should the Celtics bring him back?